Manhattan ‘45 (1985) by Jan Morris attempts to capture New York City at the time of its greatest success, optimism, influence and power, just as the Second World War comes to an end. This is not a travel book so much as an historical recreation. The author never even visited New York until nearly a [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Public Transporation’
5 Oct
South Station & Greenway Inaugural
Today, my son Peter & I took a tour of South Station, a continuing education for members of Boston By Foot (one of the reasons why you should become a member). I love railroad stations so it was fun to poke around and see old artifacts, granite pilings, and even the exclusive Acela waiting room.
Unfortunately, [...]
1 Sep
Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Trolley Line
I arrived early for a tour in Ashmont and with nothing better to do, I got my geek on and rode the Mattapan-Ashmont High Speed Trolley Line. I’ve lived in Boston for nearly ten years and have wanted to ride this special trolley line for almost as long. Granted, the previous time I tried the [...]
15 Aug
Book Review: New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg
Following up on Ric Burns’ New York, I read New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg (2007) edited by one of the stars of that series Marshall Berman and Brian Berger.
This collection of essays looks back with some nostalgia and some disgust at the City in the 70s, 80s, & 90s. For most of the [...]
2 Aug
Movie Review: New York: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns
New York: A Documentary Film is an 8-part film made by Ric Burns that debuted on PBS in 1999 (except for episode 8, which is from 2003). Thanks to Netflix, I’ve finally seen this epic documentary about my ancestral homeland and one of my favorite cities.
Ric Burns’ style is similar to his brother Ken in [...]
10 Jan
No Kicks on Route 66
This morning while riding the MBTA 66 bus, a stylish woman boarded the bus in Coolidge Corner pushing an extremely large stroller, kind of a hybrid between a Victorian-era pram and a monster truck. She didn’t get far though as passengers standing in the aisle would not budge even though there was plenty room for [...]
21 Dec
Mattapan Trolley Returns
Good news from the MBTA. The Mattapan High-Speed Trolley reopens tomorrow after 18 months of renovation. I’m a big fan of trolleys and streetcars but I’ve never ridden on this branch of the Red Line. Based on the MBTA’s history with the Arborway Line suspension of service, I was worried the Mattapan line would never [...]
1 Sep
America’s First Subway
The first subway in the United States headed underground (or “off the earth” as newspaper headlines of the time exclaimed) 110 years ago right here in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts. A lot of people at this point would quip something about how the subway hasn’t been upgraded since 1897, but I won’t, because deep inside, [...]
31 Jul
If I ruled the world (part 1)
I love this post on Universal Hub called Shut Storrow Drive! I’ve long thought that the Esplanade and the Paul Dudley White Bikepath are shining stars in the galaxy of beautiful sites in Boston. And yet they are pressed into a small piece of riverfront by the glaring eyesore of Storrow Drive. [...]
23 Jul
Trip to Southern California: Los Angeles
After arriving at Union Station, I found a display of all the Los Angeles bus schedules in the Gateway Center. I find it hard to believe that I’m holding up Los Angeles public transportation as exemplary, but other cities could benefit from having full collections of bus schedules and maps available in public places. [...]
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